Alterations include the addition of vehicular lanes, the widening of existing lanes, the demolition of historic bridges, the additionof new bridges and the obliteration of the designed landscape.

Date of Alterations

Significance

The Bronx River Parkway Reservation was the first public parkway designed explicitly for automobile use. The project began as an environmental restoration and park development initiative that aimed to transform the heavily polluted Bronx River into an attractive linear park connecting New York City's Bronx Park with New York City's Kensico Dam and reservoir. With the addition of a parkway drive the project became a pioneering example of modern motorway development. It combined beauty, safety, and efficiency by reducing the number of dangerous intersections, limiting access from surrounding streets and businesses, and surrounding motorists in a broad swath of landscaped greenery. (Information taken from the HAER Report: http://www.westchesterarchives.com/BRPR/Report_fr.html)

Description

The Bronx River Parkway Reservation encompasses a significant portion of the Bronx River Valley from its northern terminus at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla to its southern terminus at the New York Botanical Gardens in New York City. The road parallels the Bronx River and the New York Central Railroad. From Kensico Plaza south to the Sprain Brook Parkway the drive is four lanes wide. The lanes range from 9' to 11' wide. For most of this section, steel w-beam guide rails separate opposing traffic lanes. In several areas, the roadways divide into separate one-way roads. In some locations, especially south of Fenimore Road, the parkway drive has mountable concrete curbs and drop-inlet drains. Modern steel streetlights illuminate the parkway in Westchester County. Originally, both the guardrails and light standards were constructed of rustic locust logs. The northernmost section of roadway between Valhalla Bridge and White Plains maintains the greatest historic integrity. The winding drive follows much of its original alignment, traversing several hills between Valhalla Bridge and Virginia Road. The views in this corridor are the most expansive in the Bronx River Parkway Reservation. Northbound motorists passing over Valhalla Bridge have an impressive view of Kensico Dam and the upper reaches of the Bronx River Valley. Motorists traveling south from the Kensico Dam Plaza view the Bronx River Valley spread before them. The area between Kensico and White Plains has many open meadow areas, retaining the balance of field and forest intended by the original designers. Broad grassy lawns are maintained in organically shaped bays defined by mature tree growth and thick undergrowth. Thick bordering vegetation screens parkway users from adjacent development and the railroad. Immediately south of Kensico Plaza the parkway drive proceeds around a roundabout and separates into two one-way drives of two lanes each. The northbound lanes pass over Valhalla Bridge, an eclectically ornamented masonry-faced concrete girder structure completed in 1925 to carry the parkway drive over the New York Central Railroad tracks. Concrete jersey barriers have been added on either side of the driving surface to shield pedestrians and bicyclists on the bridge’s sidewalks and prevent motorists from hitting the original structure. The southbound lanes are carried over the railroad tracks on a modern steel-girder bridge with simple steel railings. The opposing roadways are separated by a wide, grassy median with some trees. Just south of Valhalla Bridge, the parkway lanes merge and are carried over the Bronx River on a concrete arch bridge with rustic stone masonry walls. The vertical and horizontal curvature in this section is excessive by modern standards, but the winding alignment serves as a characterful reminder of the serpentine roadway that once stretched throughout much of the parkway reservation. (Information taken from the HAER Report: http://www.westchesterarchives.com/BRPR/Report_fr.html)

Property

Good Counsel Complex

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

52

Street Address

North Broadway

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 01/14/97

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

Yes 04/25/97

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 01/14/97

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

Convent of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

Lawrence O'Conner

Builder

Building Type

Religious, Education

Building Type, Details

Architectural Style

Mediterranean, Italianate

Architectural Style, Details

Current Use

Religious, Education

Current Use, Details

Original Use

Religious, Education, Domestic

Original Use, Details

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Mixed Use

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

1856,1867, 1891-1923

Structural System

Masonry Load-Bearing

Structural System, Details

Wood Frame

Photograph Available?

Alterations

In 1959 a four story addition was added to the rear of the convent. A one story, hipped roof addition was added to the House of Nazareth in 1901. In 1918 a one story, seven by one bay extension was added to the Tilford Houses’s façade. This renovation caused the removal of the first floor veranda.

Date of Alterations

Various years

Significance

The Good Counsel Complex is a distinguished example of a late nineteenth century religious/educational campus. Begun in 1860 and largely completed by 1923, the property contains regionally significant examples of Romanesque Revival and Mediterranean Revival inspired architecture that serve historically important needs for the order. Prominently sites in the city of White Plains, the complex is highlighted by the finely crafter cobblestone Church of the Divine Compassion, which displays elements of Romanesque Revival and High Victorian Gothic styles. In addition to the church, the convent building of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion and the House of Nazareth School are finely executed regional examples of Mediterranean style design. Despite the erection of several modern buildings and additions on the site and the encroachment from the adjoining institution (Pace University), the Good Counsel Complex stands as an important visual and architectural landmark in the city of White Plains.

Description

The Good Counsel Complex is situated on the east side of North Broadway, a major north-south thoroughfare in the city of White Plains. Thirteen acres of land are historically associated with the complex. It is located north of the center of White Plains and occupies a slightly raised site. Immediately adjacent to the complex, on the north, is the campus of Pace University. The ten buildings, which are predominantly institutional in scale, reflect a variety of popular late nineteenth century architectural styles. In addition, several small scale support buildings and staff houses survive on the property. The complex also retains a park-like sitting of open lawns, mature trees, winding paths and curvilinear roadways. The convent (1908) is a large, four story, Mediterranean inspired, stuccoed brick building, which rests on a stone foundation. The building is covered by a series of red slate shingle clad gable roofs. The chapel (1897) is a one and one-half story, three by ten bay, building constructed of uncoursed site-quarried stone. Cross shaped in plan, the building features a square, two-story engaged bell tower and a rounded apse. Mapleton (1867) is a large residence in the Italianate and Second Empire style; the building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The House of Nazareth (1891) is a four story, five by five bay, stuccoed brick building on a raised stone foundation. The building is covered by a red slate tiled roof. The Cooking School/Infirmary (1901-02) includes two connected, one story, three by four brick buildings set on stone foundations and covered by slate clad hipped roofs. The Tilford House (1856) is a two story, five by five bay brick dwelling that rests on a stone foundation. The building is covered by a low hipped roof with broad bracketed overhanging eaves. Originally located on the site of the chapel it was moved 700 feet to its present location in 1895. For details on the buildings and the additional buildings not mentioned, refer to the files maintained by the Westchester County Historical Society.

Property

Jacob Purdy House

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

60

Street Address

Park Avenue

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 01/05/88

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

Yes 08/31/79

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 06/23/80

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

City of White Plains

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

Builder

Samuel Horton and family

Building Type

Single Family Dwelling

Building Type, Details

Architectural Style

Other (describe)

Architectural Style, Details

Farmhouse

Current Use

Other (describe)

Current Use, Details

Museum/ Historical Society

Original Use

Single Family Dwelling

Original Use, Details

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Commercial

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Moved

Date Moved

1973

Year Built

1721

Structural System

Wood Frame

Structural System, Details

Photograph Available?

Alterations

The fieldstone and mortar were replaced below ground level with cement block when the house was moved in 1973. The building's sills were also replaced at that time, although several hand-hewn beams have been preserved in the basement. Two of the three fireplaces have been restored to original configurations.

Date of Alterations

1973

Significance

The Purdy House is one of White Plain's most significant historical resources. Sited on land closely associated with the earliest development of the area, the one-and-one-half story frame farmhouse was constructed during the 1720s and has a circa 1750 addition. The Purdy House is one of the few remaining eighteenth-century buildings in densely populated lower Westchester County, may be the oldest house in White Plains, and is the only structure surviving from White Plains' original settlement. During the Revolutionary War, in 1776 and again in 1778, the farmhouse served as headquarters for General Washington. Having fulfilled its function as a farm residence for one hundred and seventy-nine years, the structure was occupied as a multi-family tenement from 1900 to 1963, when it was purchased by the Battle of White Plains Monument Committee. In 1973 the Purdy House, in the path of impending highway construction, was moved by the city of White Plains, to which ownership was conveyed at that time. The structure retains much of its early fabric, and its present site is still within the boundaries of the original parcel of land owned by the house's builder.

Description

The Purdy House is situated on a one-and-one-half acre hilltop lot overlooking its original location and White Plains’ central business district. One-and-one-half stories high, five bays wide, and two bays deep, the structure is shingled, has a gable roof, and is painted red with white trim. The house has three chimneys, two brick and one stone and brick, and the two exterior chimneys are partially exposed on the east and west sides of the house. The irregular fenestration includes three exterior doors. Constructed in two major sections, the original 1721 house consisted of a hallway, two large ground floor rooms on the west side of the entrance hall, and two smaller rooms on the east side. The 18th-century sections of the house were built on fieldstone and mortar foundations with a full basement. Original foundation materials have been retained above ground level, as has the bulkhead cellar entrance on the east. The first floor of the interior retains a variety of early materials. Wide floorboards, crown moldings, beaded baseboards, some wainscoting, a chair rail, hand-cut lath, and pin-type strap hinges have been preserved. Three of the first floor rooms have wooden ceilings, two with early beaded boards. The half story above, reached by an open staircase with a simply molded banister railing, contains one large room and two smaller rooms. Some early construction elements, including studs, rafters, braces with wooden pins, and one original chimney flue, remain on this level.

Property

Mapleton

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

52

Street Address

North Broadway

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 01/05/88

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

Yes 09/28/76

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 06/23/80

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

The Good Consel Convent

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

John G. Prague

Builder

Building Type

Single Family Dwelling

Building Type, Details

Architectural Style

Italianate, Second Empire

Architectural Style, Details

Current Use

Education

Current Use, Details

Original Use

Single Family Dwelling

Original Use, Details

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Mixed Use

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

c. 1867

Structural System

Structural System, Details

Photograph Available?

Alterations

In 1998 a program of renovation was begun with the construction of a new back porch with a ramp for wheel chair accessibility. A handicapped accessible bathroom was also added.

Date of Alterations

1988

Significance

Mapleton is one of the few survivors of the once numerous suburban villages that symbolized the prosperity and cosmopolitan spirit of the successful businessmen who turned lower Westchester County into a fashionable suburb by the middle of the nineteenth-century. With their well designed by informal landscaping and stylish carriage houses, such homes were scaled-down versions of country seats that functioned as both aesthetic and social statements in an era known for its attention to fashion and social posturing. The house was originally owned by William Franklin Dusenbury (1825-1892), a carriage manufacturer, whose forbearers of Dutch ancestry were well-known in Westchester County. The home now houses the RDC Counseling Center.

Description

Situated on an informally landscaped campus site set back from North Broadway, not far from the center of the downtown business district, Mapleton is a large two-and-a-half story, five-bay residence built on a rectangular plan with decorative elements in both the Italianate and Second Empire styles. The usual large veranda, supported by pairs of square posts, covers the entire front of the residence giving the residence its Italianate flavor. A central pavilion tower emerges from the center of the small façade and runs through the roof line. It is capped with a small dome that is not original. The Second Empire mansard roof is faced with its original slate tiles and interrupted by round windows in the tower and pedimented dormer windows elsewhere. Paired, corbelled brackets line the eaves of the roof and veranda. One small section of the veranda has been enclosed but the original external design elements still exist. Five interior chimneys serve the fireplaces, some of which retain their original fittings. Notable features of the interior include a fireplace with Moorish style decorative woodwork, original etched glass panels in the sliding doors between the dining room and parlor, and elaborate and heavily molded plaster ceiling decorations, including a particularly fine medallion and Gothic tracery design in the original library. A polygonal, frame gazebo stands just southeast of the main house.

Property

New York Presbyterian Hospital - Westchester Division

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

Street Address

Bloomingdale Road

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 05/30/92

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 05/30/92

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia University Medical Center

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

James Brown Lord, Grosvenor Atterbury, FL Olmstead

Builder

Building Type

Other (describe)

Building Type, Details

Health Care

Architectural Style

Georgian Revival, Colonial Revival

Architectural Style, Details

Current Use

Other (describe)

Current Use, Details

Health Care

Original Use

Other (describe)

Original Use, Details

Health Care

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Urban

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

1891-1934

Structural System

Masonry Load-Bearing

Structural System, Details

Wood Frame

Photograph Available?

Alterations

Date of Alterations

Significance

The Bloomingdale Hospital, now known as The New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center- Westchester Division, is an important example of a late 19th and early 20th century planned medical campus. The design and layout of buildings and the accompanying landscape form a cohesive unit that is architecturally distinguished and is also a physical reflection of medical theories concerning the treatment of psychiatric patients. Of the 26 contributing buildings on the grounds, 24 were built by the hospital for use by patients and staff. Most of these buildings were designed by two prominent architects- James Brown Lord was responsible for 7 of the early buildings, while Grosvenor Atterbury designed 13 buildings in the late 1920s and 1930s. The landscaping, which is as important as the architecture to the total plan, was seen as having a beneficial effect on the patients. New York Hospital hired America’s leading firm of landscape architects, F.L. Olmstead and Co., to lay out the hospital grounds in a carefully planned, picturesque manner. The White Plains complex remains in an extraordinary state of preservation; the buildings are substantially intact, the landscape has matured and changes necessary to meet modern needs have been instituted in such a way as to retain most original features, and the entire complex continues to serve an important function in the treatment of psychiatric patients.

Description

The Bloomingdale Hospital, now known as The New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center- Westchester Division, is a 209-acre complex located in the center of the heavily urbanized community of White Plains. The hospital consists of a cohesive and unified group of 26 buildings set within carefully landscaped and well-maintained grounds. The hospital is one of the few open spaces remaining in White Plains and its well-designed buildings and varied grounds reflect the history of development on the site both before and after the land was acquired by New York Hospital: two early farmhouses, a group of turn-of-the-century hospital buildings, and a series of medical and residential buildings from the 1920s and 1920s serve to reflect the history of the area and also illustrate the pride that the hospital administrators have taken in the construction and maintenance of this important medical institution. All of these buildings are complemented by the grounds that were laid out so as to provide a great variety of landscape environments including open meadows, rolling lawns, shaded walks, forests, and a lake. All of the buildings are stylistically related and are unified in their design. They were all constructed of red brick with red mortar and all had slate roofs. The buildings have red sandstone and terra cotta detail, wooden multi-paned window sash, and most have Colonial Revival style wooden porches and trim. For a description of all of the structures within the Bloomingdale Hospital refer to the files maintained by the Westchester County Historical Society.

Property

Peoples National Bank and Trust Company Building

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

31

Street Address

Mamaroneck Avenue @ Martine Avenue

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 04/05/00

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

Yes 09/14/00

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 04/05/00

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

Westchester Arts Council

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

Harold B. Zoller

Builder

William J. Goble, Inc.

Building Type

Commercial

Building Type, Details

Architectural Style

Neo-Classic

Architectural Style, Details

Current Use

Other (describe)

Current Use, Details

Performance, gallery, and studio space

Original Use

Commercial

Original Use, Details

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Commercial

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

1929

Structural System

Masonry Load-Bearing

Structural System, Details

Photograph Available?

Yes

Alterations

The Westchester Arts Council has undergone many restorations on the former Peoples National Bank and Trust Co. Building in recent years. The site has been converted to art studios, offices and galleries. For more information: http://www.westarts.com/index.php?module=pagemasterandPAGE_user_op=view_pageandPAGE_id=291

Date of Alterations

Significance

The Peoples National Bank and Trust Co. Building, built in 1929, is significant as a distinctive example of early twentieth-century commercial architecture in the City of White Plains and Westchester County, New York. Built to an unusually large and elaborate scale for its location and era, the bank stands out as a prominent landmark of the crush of suburban development in the county during the period and the remarkable ascendancy of a small, local banking institution in the process. Designed in a highly expressive neo-classical style and built with a fastidious craftsmanship, the building was the result of the collaboration of New York City architect Harold B. Zoller and White Plains builder William J. Goble. With a richly detailed, monumental stone arcade at street level and a brazenly unique Roman penthouse distinguishing its roofline, the building represents the migration of more formal urban architectural taste from the city to the suburbs. The building is a dramatic example of the retention and reinvigoration of elite architectural styles in the suburban context. Subsequent declines and renewals in the White Plains economy had remade the downtown into a fundamentally non-historic place, leaving the Peoples National Bank and Trust Co. Building as a relic of an important era of the city’s development.

Description

The Peoples National Bank and Trust Co. Building was built in 1929 on the northwest corner of Mamaroneck and Martine Avenues in the City of White Plains. It is in a commercial area. The rectangular foot print of the building covers 5,778 square feet of its lot and is sited with its two street frontages at the sidewalks. The façade is on the narrow side facing Mamaroneck Avenue. The main block of the building rises six stories above the cornice of the two-story street level. The two principal street elevations are composed of highly finished limestone and brick materials and terra cotta ornament. A sign reading "Peoples National Bank and Trust Company" is embossed on the top. The rear elevation is of red brick and has an irregular roof line that incorporates the chimney and the stair tower. The bank entrance is elaborated with a projecting limestone frame capped by a decorative Roman fascia and broken, scrolled pediment with an urn in the center. Large lanterns flank the doorway. The windows within the limestone level are arched and the windows within the brick levels are rectangular in shape and multi-paned. The interior of the bank rivals the exterior in its scale, vertical emphasis and monumental but retained ornamentation. More alterations to the original design have occurred. The southern three-fourths of the ground floor is occupied by the banking room; the front section of the remaining side functions as the entry and elevator lobby of the office building. Sometime in the 1960s, a broad cornice band was built across the walls at the base of the arches and the tops of the windows were walled over. Changes in layout and furniture over the years have resulted in a completely non-historic installation. Nevertheless, all the principal architectural materials and details survive sufficiently to direct a successful restoration of the historic space. The six floors of offices above the bank were designed all essentially the same and in spite of subtle realignment of walls, dropping walls, dropping hallway ceilings for heating and air-conditioning ducts, electrical wiring and telecommunications, and updated wall treatments, lighting fixtures and built-in furniture, the plan and wall materials are largely intact. For more information on the Peoples National Bank and Trust Co. Building refer to the files maintained by the Westchester County Historical Society.

Property

Percy Grainger Home and Studio

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

7

Street Address

Cromwell Place

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 02/17/93

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

Yes 04/08/93

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 02/17/93

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

International Percy Grainger Society

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

Builder

David Cromwell

Building Type

Single Family Dwelling

Building Type, Details

Architectural Style

American Four Square

Architectural Style, Details

Current Use

Other (describe)

Current Use, Details

Museum

Original Use

Single Family Dwelling

Original Use, Details

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Residential

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

1893

Structural System

Wood Frame

Structural System, Details

Photograph Available?

Alterations

Two fireplace vaults were constructed in the basement in 1938. The living room originally had a large brick fireplace, which Grainger replaced with a rectangular sixteen-pane stationary window. By 1946, Grainger had converted the living room into a Free Music laboratory. A contemporary composition roof was laid over the original cedar shingles in c. 1930; another new roof was added in the early 1980s.

Date of Alterations

Various years

Significance

The Percy Grainger Home and Studio is exceptionally significant for its association with the life and work of Percy Grainger (1882-1961), theorist, composer, pianist, collector of folk songs and writer. For forty years, from 1921 until his death in 1961, Grainger occupied the house at 7 Cromwell Place, using it for his residence, practice studio and laboratory for his avant-garde musical compositions and experimental music machines. Grainger, a native of Australia, lived and worked primarily in England from c. 1901 until he emigrated to America in 1914 (he became a citizen in 1918). After service in World War I, Grainger purchased the single-family residence in White Plains that became his home and studio for the rest of his life; the building is the resource most significantly associated with Grainger in America.

Description

The Percy Grainger Home and Studio occupies a single lot in a small residential enclave now located within the central business district of White Plains. Available evidence indicates that the house was built by David Cromwell around the time that the street was developed in 1893. The structure is a freestanding, wood-frame building with shingle cladding. The building sits on a partially raised fieldstone foundation and is two stories tall and three bays wide. A pyramidal hipped roof with deep overhanging eaves is broken by gabled dormers with deep eaves on each elevations and a brick chimney is located toward the rear. Windows throughout contain double-hung sash, some with original six-over-one lights; there is also a bay window on each side elevation. A full-width one-story porch shelters the front entry. The large Dutch-type entrance door is recessed behind double glass doors. The interior plan on the first floor is balanced around the small central entrance hall containing the main stair. The woodwork on the first floor is oak, with standard late-nineteenth century moldings. On the west wall of the music room on the first floor is a gas-fired fireplace with a carved ogee-curved mantel decorated with a fluted urn motif. During Grainger's residence, this room contained two grand pianos and an upright. The living room originally had a large brick fireplace, which Grainger replaced with a rectangular sixteen-pane stationary window. The second floor is devoted to four bedrooms and a bath, which retains its original fixtures. For more details on the Percy Grainger Home and Studio refer to the files maintained by the Westchester County Historical Society.

Property

Pine Tree Corners

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

5

Street Address

Old Knollwood Road

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 02/19/93

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

James Cullen

Institutional Owner

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

Builder

Frederick Philipse

Building Type

Single Family Dwelling

Building Type, Details

Architectural Style

Architectural Style, Details

Current Use

Single Family Dwelling

Current Use, Details

Original Use

Single Family Dwelling

Original Use, Details

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Residential

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

1685

Structural System

Wood Frame

Structural System, Details

Photograph Available?

Yes

Alterations

A 20th century addition was added to the house in the rear and incorportates a bedroom.

Date of Alterations

Significance

Built in 1685 by Frederick Philipse for his daughter upon marriage, the house at Pine Tree Corners is one of the oldest houses in Greenburgh. Now owned by the Cullen family, it is much changed, but still retains features of the original house. The property also has great archeological potential. The close ties of Pine Tree Corners to the early families of Greenburgh (the Philipse and Bare families) and its ownership by the well-known sculptor, Henry Merwin Shrady (1871-1922; sculptor of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington, D.C.), make this property an important part of Westchester County history.

Description

Pine Tree Corners is a half-acre property with a clapboard and stone house with gabled roof, built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The house is a 1 _ story, 10 bay wide, 5 bay deep structure. The original 4 bay wide eastern portion of the house, one of the oldest residences in the Town of Greenburgh, consisted originally of two rooms with a central chimney. The original oak beams are still in place, pegged and with the bark still on them. Original wide floorboards can be seen. The central 1 _ story portion of the house was added c. 1719. The addition is asymmetrical, 3 bays wide with a high gable roof and two dormer windows. The main door architrave has four pilasters, flush side panels each with four lights on each side, nine lights in the transom panel with a flush fan above. Pilasters flank the doors and the interior surrounds of the doors and windows embody the Philipsburgh Manor symbol of oak leaves and acorns. The western portion of the house was added in the 18th century. This section is one story with one door and three windows. There is a large stone chimney on the west end of this section and a lattice covered flagstone porch. For more information on Pine Tree Corners refer to the files maintained by the Westchester County Historical Society.

Property

Westchester County Center

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

Street Address

Intersection of Central Avenue; Route 119; and Bronx River Parkway

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 10/30/90

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

Yes 01/11/91

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 10/30/90

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

Westchester County

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

Walker and Gillette

Builder

Building Type

Other (describe)

Building Type, Details

Auditorium, Entertainment

Architectural Style

Art Deco

Architectural Style, Details

Current Use

Other (describe)

Current Use, Details

Auditorium, Entertainment

Original Use

Other (describe)

Original Use, Details

Auditorium, Entertainment

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Commercial

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

1924

Structural System

Metal

Structural System, Details

Photograph Available?

Yes

Alterations

A $16-million rehabilitation completed in 1988, along with continuing updates and improvements, have resulted in a modern, state-of-the-art arena that is ready for many years of service to the community.

Date of Alterations

1988

Significance

Information from the Westchester County Center's website (http://www.countycenter.biz/aboutus.htm):
For over 75 years the County Center has been Westchester’s premier setting for thousands of concerts, trade shows, sports events, meetings, seminars, theatrical presentations, conventions and civic and community events. The County Center was conceived by the Westchester Recreation Commission in 1924 as a multi-purpose indoor recreational facility to host community programs and income-producing commercial events to help sustain the Center financially. It was designed by the award-winning architectural firm of Walker and Gillette, and built and decorated in the classic Art Deco architectural style. The construction project was awarded to a local contractor and was completed at a cost of approximately $785,000. On the weekend of May 22, 1930, the Westchester County Center Grand opening gala was held, attracting thousands from all over Westchester to hear such notable musicians as the pianist Percy Grainger, Metropolitan Opera Company tenor Edward Johnson, organist Palmer Christian and more than 1,500 local choral group performers. In the ensuing years, generations of County Center audiences have been treated to performances by such greats as Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, James Brown, Kenny Rogers, and John Sebastian, along with the Harlem Globetrotters and the Royal Hanneford Circus, one of the longest running events at the Center to date.

Description

National Register recommendation form information unavailable.

Property

White Plains Armory

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

35

Street Address

South Broadway

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 01/05/88

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

Yes 04/16/80

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 06/23/80

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

New York State Office of General Services

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

Franklin B. Ware

Builder

Building Type

Government

Building Type, Details

Architectural Style

Other (describe)

Architectural Style, Details

Castellated

Current Use

Government

Current Use, Details

Original Use

Government

Original Use, Details

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Commercial

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

1909

Structural System

Metal

Structural System, Details

Photograph Available?

Alterations

The drill hall was partitioned in the 1950s to create additional office space and an air control room.

Date of Alterations

Significance

The White Plains Armory is one of only three extant military structures in Westchester County and is an outstanding example of the castellated style of architecture. The site of the structure is historically significant. It faces the old Albany Post Road (now Broadway) and the city’s original village green. The first and second Westchester County courthouses preceded the present building and were the center of village activity for more than a century. There, on July 9, 1776, the Provincial Congress unanimously approved the Declaration of Independence and on July 11, the document was read at the steps of the court house, making is the first public reading of the declaration in the State of New York. The White Plains Armory, as well as its historically significant site, has been a focus of community involvement, with it serving as a training base for numerous soldiers.

Description

The White Plains Armory, designed by New York State architect Franklin B. Ware and constructed in 1909, is one of only three such military structures in Westchester County. Located on South Broadway near the edge of the White Plains central business district, the Armory, which remains virtually intact, is an excellent example of the popular early 20th century castellated style of architecture. The building’s front section, two stories high, five bays wide, and three bays deep, is constructed of yellow, beige-painted brick laid up in common bond on a foundation of rock-faced red sandstone. The drill hall, forming the rear of the building, is also of brick on a sandstone foundation; the brick, however, has been left unpainted. The front section has a flat roof; the drill hall’s low gable roof is of seamed metal. Both sections are trimmed in red sandstone. Military architectural details, simple and massive, are present on the building’s largely unaltered interior. On either side of the stair hall, which contains heavy beams supported by massive consoles, are two large, well-lit functional rooms; they feature yellow brick fireplaces with segmentally arched openings. The drill hall is paneled on three walls with dark oak, contains a gallery level, and was partitioned in the 1950s to create additional office space and an air control room. The basement, closed off now, originally contained a kitchen, dining facilities, and a rifle range; of architectural interest at this level are the stamped tin ceiling and cast-iron support columns. Between the Armory and the wall on the east is a large monument. Erected in 1910 through the efforts of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the monument is constructed of rough-dressed granite blocks on a smooth granite base. It commemorates the site as the location where the Declaration of Independence was first read in New York State. For more information on the White Plains Armory refer to the files maintained by the Westchester County Historical Society.

Property

White Plains Rural Cemetery and House/Office

Municipality

White Plains

Community

Street Number

167

Street Address

North Broadway @ Cemetery Road

Historic District Name

Local Landmark Status?

Yes 10/20/89

Local Landmark District Status?

National Register District Status?

County Register Status?

National Register Status?

Yes 10/02/03

National Historic Landmark Status?

National Historic Landmark District Status?

State Register Status?

Yes 03/06/03

Eligible for National Register?

Owner

Institutional Owner

White Plains Rural Cemetery Association

Tax Map Available?

Tax Map Image Available?

Tax Section Tax Block Tax Lot

Architect

John F. Jenkins

Builder

Building Type

Other (describe)

Building Type, Details

Cemetery

Architectural Style

Architectural Style, Details

Current Use

Other (describe)

Current Use, Details

Cemetery

Original Use

Other (describe)

Original Use, Details

Cemetery

Structural Condition

Good

Neighborhood

Mixed Use

Threats to Building

Site Integrity

Original Site

Date Moved

Year Built

1854-55; c. 1881

Structural System

Other (describe)

Structural System, Details

N/A

Photograph Available?

Yes

Alterations

There was originally a third entrance into the cemetery from the railroad, but it was closed at some point in the early to mid 20th century. The original maintenance buildings have been replaced.

Date of Alterations

Significance

The White Plains Rural Cemetery is a distinctive and intact example of a mid-19th century rural cemetery in Westchester County. Organized in 1854 and designed in 1855 by John F. Jenkins, a surveyor and civil engineer, the cemetery embodies the characteristic features of rural cemetery design, with its undulating contours, serpentine drives, and naturalistic plantings. Also on the property is a former Methodist Church, built in 1797. It was the first Methodist meeting house in White Plains. The structure now serves as the cemetery office.

Description

The White Plains Rural Cemetery, a 26-acre cemetery designed in 1855, is located on the west side of North Broadway near the northern limits of the City of White Plains. Mature maple trees line the narrow border of grass and sidewalk and a rubble stone wall of varying height defines the cemetery boundaries. A driveway leads through cast-iron entrance gates, which have hanging lotus leaves and the words "Dust to Dust 1855" spelled out on each leaf. Several miles of narrow paved roads wing through the cemetery, creating odd shaped sections for burials. There are small sections of concrete curbing and a number of granite boundary curbs for plots, but otherwise the bulk of the cemetery is grass. Various kinds of trees are found within the cemetery. The cemetery markers of the 1855 section of the cemetery are of every variety available from 1855 to the present, mostly of marble or granite, and a few of zinc. A few of the plots have metal and granite fences. The most elaborate plot is that of the Nash family, with a heavy granite coping surrounding the plot, entrance steps, and exuberant sculptural monuments. The soldiers’ plot contains federal-issued marble markers as well as a cannon. In the southwestern section of the cemetery is the receiving vault and nearby is a family vault. There are approximately 20,000 burials. The cemetery office is in the southeastern corner of the cemetery. Predating the rural cemetery, the former church is a two-and-one-half story frame building with a high-pitched gable roof, five-bay symmetrical façade, deep three-bay gable end elevations, and a low stone foundation. The church has undergone alterations and is domestic in appearance. Surrounding the cemetery office is the graveyard of the meeting house, begun c. 1795. For more information on the White Plains Rural Cemetery refer to the files maintained by the Westchester County Historical Society.

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